Black Friday calls for plan of attack

The most anticipated shopping day of the year - "Black Friday" - is almost here. On that day, retailers hope to turn a profit.

Laurie Dixon

The most anticipated shopping day of the year — “Black Friday” — is almost here.

On that day, retailers hope to turn a profit.

Strategic planning is required to secure the best deals.

Some tips to ensure a successful Black Friday:

• Ask major retailers to send you email alerts about offers and coupons in advance. Establish a separate account for such email.

• Compare the Black Friday sales early, given that ads are leaked well before Thanksgiving through websites such as BlackFriday. BradsDeals.com, BlackFriday.com, FatWallet.com and www.blackfriday.net. Check their email feeds for updates.

• Make a plan of attack, deciding which stores you will visit and in what order. List the items you intend to buy at each store, and attach coupons.

• Organize a shopping team, dividing the list. Have a designated person find a place in line while someone else grabs the Black Friday loot.

• Visit each store in advance to investigate targeted products on the list, allowing you to ease your shopping on the designated day.

• Keep an eye out for pre-Black Friday sales and coupons, with the possibility of getting a better deal in advance — and beating the crowds.

• Plan to get the discount later. Fearing that the fabulous sweater will be sold out by the day after Thanksgiving, ask whether the store will honor a price adjustment if the item is advertised for a lower price on that day. Remember: Department stores such as Kohl’s and Macy’s have 14-day price-adjustment policies.

• Don’t be duped by deals touted as having “limited quantities.” Expect them to be gone by the time you arrive, as they are designed simply to lure shoppers to a store — where they will choose higher-priced merchandise instead.

• Avoid the crowds by noting offers available online as early as midnight on Thanksgiving.

For more suggestions, follow Laurie Dixon at www.facebook.com/Columbus SavvyShopper.